3 World Cup-bound wicket-keepers who idolize MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a huge name in cricket fraternity. He led India to their first ever World Cup victory at home and their second overall World Cup victory after 1983. In that way, Dhoni is always special for Indian fans.

His wicket-keeping abilities, especially against the spinners, is almost unmatched. Most of the batsmen find it tough to play when MS Dhoni is behind them. He has extraordinary skills to stump any batsmen in a matter of milliseconds.

The ICC World Cup 2019 might undoubtedly be the last World Cup of Dhoni. He is 37 years old now with many accomplishments to his name. He would like to put up a good performance in his last appearance in the marquee event before hanging up his boots.

The former Indian captain has earned a lot of respect throughout the years from his teammates and fans alike. Even most of his rival wicket-keepers respect him off the field. These players are divided by nations but are united by their love for the captivating wicket-keeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

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#1 Sarfraz Ahmed

Sarfraz Ahmed

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed would be leading his side in the 2019 World Cup. Sarfraz had quite a success as Pakistan captain over the years. He led Pakistan to their first ever Champions Trophy victory in 2017.

India and Pakistan have quite a rivalry in international cricket. The matches between the two political rivals are seen with awe and enthusiasm by millions of cricketing fans worldwide. Players from both the sides show such a passion during their matches.

Off the field, Sarfraz is actually a fan of MS Dhoni who idolizes him much like many cricket fans. He gets inspired by Dhoni by reminiscing the way he led the Indian side in all three formats. "MS Dhoni has led his side well as a captain in all three formats of the game, so I definitely do get inspired by him,” the Pakistan captain had said in an interview.

#2 Mohammad Shahzad

Mohammad Shahzad batting in an ICC World Twenty20 2016 match

Afghanistan cricket team has many talented cricketers in their ranks. Their fiery wicket-keeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad is one of them. He is someone whom they would want in their World Cup squad.

The quickfire batsman has more than 2000 ODI runs and a high score of 131. The 31-year-old is also an avid fan of MS Dhoni. He once shared his experience of watching MS Dhoni bat in an interview:

"There was a time when India were playing a final in the West Indies. Dhoni was batting at the end of innings and some 15 odd runs were required in the last over. It was Ramzan at that time as well. Around 3 to 4 minutes were left for Iftaar and food was in front of me. It is said at that time whatever is asked from Allah he grants us. Dhoni was unfit for a couple of games earlier and was only playing the final against Sri Lanka. 15 were needed of the last over. I prayed to Allah that India win this match and Dhoni finishes the match. So, I had prayed and delayed my food for a while then. So, I can delay sleep as well,"

Whenever Afghanistan plays against India, Shahzad makes sure to meet Dhoni in person and talk to him about cricket and some regular stuff about life. The hard-hitting batsman has even attempted MS Dhoni's helicopter shot for quite a few times.

#3 Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler batting during West Indies v England - 3rd Test: Day Three

England wicket-keeper-batsman Jos Buttler is turning out to be a superhuman day by day. He has been stacking up phenomenal performances ahead of the impending ICC World Cup 2019. He was one of the best performers against CSK during IPL 2018.

However, the Rajasthan Royals batsman considers MS Dhoni as his inspiration. Buttler once said in an interview, “He’s (Dhoni) always been a bit of an idol of mine, especially his demeanour. I enjoy the way he never looks flustered, and he’s one of these guys who seem to be not out at the end.”

Buttler was in a top-notch form in the recently concluded ODI series against West Indies. He scored 211 runs from 4 matches with the series-best strike rate of 143.54.

During his team's encounter against India on June 30, 2019, one cannot expect him to be lenient against his idol's team. He would be eyeing to give a colossal performance against the top class Indian team led by Virat Kohli.

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Are there any other World Cup-bound wicketkeepers who consider MS Dhoni as an inspiration? Let us know in your comments below.